Chapter 38 Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

⚠️ This summary and analysis contains major plot details from Chapter 38 of Not What She Seems. If you haven't read this chapter yet, you may want to do so first.

Summary

Jac arrives at her grandfather's house, feeling invigorated by having a concrete task to focus on—anything to avoid thinking about the mess she left behind at her mother's. She settles on the couch with two case folders on the coffee table. She pushes the Lake Worth folder aside, mentally declaring that case closed, and turns her attention to the Colleton folder. Her hands shake as she spreads the contents out, and she reviews the notes she's scribbled on the whiteboard: three senior girls died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a weekend sleepover, apparently from a car left running in a closed garage; later, another senior, Daphne Franklin, was found dead at home from a drug overdose, with police unsure if the deaths were connected. Jac's notes also include a reminder to talk to Rachel Anderson and a question about what “F” knows.

Jac's anxiety builds as she waits for Rachel Anderson to answer the phone. From her grandfather's notes, she knows there was another friend in the group—someone connected to all the girls but not present during either incident. Interviews with that friend had yielded nothing, but Rachel Anderson, as a stepmother to one of the girls, might have inside information. Jac also recalls that Mrs. Harris at the park mentioned something had riled her grandfather before his heart attack, and that the Colleton Girls case had been erased from the whiteboard, with the clock ending up in Faye's office. She wonders if Faye could be connected to Colleton.

When Mrs. Anderson finally answers, she explains that her stepdaughter, Faith, grew up in Colleton. Faith's father doted on her, likely out of guilt because her mother left when she was young. Mrs. Anderson married Faith's father when Faith was about ten and immediately noticed something off. She describes Faith as having a mean streak and being sneaky—the kind of person who would “throw the rock and hide the hand.” Faith enjoyed playing games that turned people against each other, just to watch their reactions. Mrs. Anderson eventually made a deal with Faith: she'd leave Faith alone if Faith left her alone, and she'd pretend not to see Faith causing fights. Faith's father was Colleton's coroner, a respected position, and Mrs. Anderson didn't want to jeopardize that.

Faith eventually got bored with messing with her stepmother, realizing that with Mrs. Anderson around to distract her father, she had more freedom. Mrs. Anderson describes Faith as someone who could twist words to make others look awful, and people bought into her sweet act. When Faith ran off after graduation, her father thought she'd been kidnapped, but Mrs. Anderson believed Faith left because she had something to do with the deaths—including Daphne's suicide. Mrs. Anderson recalls Daphne as a sweet, quiet girl who wanted to be a writer or poet.

At Daphne's funeral, Mrs. Anderson spoke to Daphne's mother, who was grief-stricken and kept muttering about her baby hating pills and how bitter they must have tasted. Later, Mrs. Anderson realized the implication: if Daphne was afraid to swallow pills, she wouldn't have chosen to overdose on them unless she was forced. She then brings up the children's poem “The Spider and the Fly,” noting how dark such poems are, and says it perfectly describes Faith—sweet-talking, luring victims, then striking when they cross her or she gets bored. She warns Jac that if Faith ever sets her sights on her, it won't end well.

Jac asks what happened to Faith. Mrs. Anderson says Faith ran away with some of her father's money right after high school, and her father spent the rest of his life searching for her before he died. She suggests Daphne's mother might talk to Jac, as she did with Jac's grandfather. When Jac explains she found her grandfather's old case notes and became interested, Mrs. Anderson scoffs and advises her to throw the case in the garbage. Jac asks for an old photo of Faith, promising not to post it online. Mrs. Anderson reluctantly agrees, warning Jac not to do anything improper with it. She then offers unsolicited advice: Jac sounds like she's getting swept up into something that might not end well. Jac dismisses the warning, but a knot forms in her chest. After the call, she snorts at the idea of being obsessed with Faith, but a little voice in her head—sounding like Angela Brodie—whispers that she just might be.

Key Events

Jac arrives at her grandfather's house and sets aside the Lake Worth case, focusing entirely on the Colleton folder.
She reviews her notes: three girls died of carbon monoxide poisoning; Daphne Franklin died of a drug overdose.
She calls Rachel Anderson, who provides a detailed portrait of her stepdaughter Faith.
Mrs. Anderson reveals Faith's father was Colleton's coroner and that Faith ran away after graduation.
She shares Daphne's mother's comment about Daphne hating pills, suggesting Daphne was forced to take them.
Mrs. Anderson compares Faith to “The Spider and the Fly” and warns Jac against getting involved.
Jac requests a photo of Faith; Mrs. Anderson agrees but cautions her.
Jac dismisses the warning but privately questions her own obsession.

Character Development

Jac – This chapter deepens Jac's obsessive nature. She actively pushes aside one case to dive into another, using the investigation as a distraction from personal turmoil. Her initial confidence and dismissal of Mrs. Anderson's warning reveal a stubbornness that borders on self-destructive. The internal voice of Angela Brodie—a figure from her past—suggests Jac is aware, on some level, that she may be repeating a pattern of getting too involved. Her denial (“As if.”) is undercut by the physical reaction (the knot in her chest) and the nagging thought that she might indeed be obsessed.

Rachel Anderson – She emerges as a pragmatic, somewhat cynical observer. Her willingness to share unflattering details about Faith stems from a desire to protect Jac, but also from a sense of relief that Faith is gone. Her own choices—striking a deal with Faith rather than confronting her—show a survival instinct, but also a moral compromise. She serves as a cautionary voice, warning Jac about the dangers of getting swept up.

Faith Anderson – Though absent, Faith is vividly characterized through Mrs. Anderson's testimony. She's manipulative, sneaky, and enjoys causing discord. The comparison to the spider in the poem paints her as a predator who lures victims with charm. Her father's role as coroner adds a layer of potential cover-up, and her disappearance after the deaths strongly implies guilt.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Manipulation and Deception – Faith's ability to twist words and play people against each other is central. Mrs. Anderson's description of her as someone who “throws the rock and hides the hand” illustrates a pattern of covert aggression.
The Spider and the Fly – This poem serves as a direct symbol for Faith's predatory nature. The spider's sweet words lure the fly to its doom, mirroring how Faith might have drawn in the other girls. The poem's darkness also ties into the motif of dark fairy tales and children's rhymes that hide sinister truths.
Obsession and Curiosity – Jac's refusal to heed warnings highlights the danger of curiosity. Her internal debate about whether she's obsessed echoes a broader theme of how true crime investigations can consume a person.
Small-Town Secrets – The Colleton case is buried in a community that prefers to forget. Mrs. Anderson's reluctance to speak earlier, and her advice to drop the case, suggest a culture of silence.
Forced Overdose – The implication that Daphne was forced to take pills because she feared swallowing them points to a deliberate, violent act disguised as suicide. This motif of hidden murder within an apparent accident recurs throughout the novel.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal because it transforms the Colleton case from a cold file into a live investigation with a clear suspect. Rachel Anderson's testimony provides the first concrete link between Faith and the deaths, and her comparison to “The Spider and the Fly” gives Jac a lens through which to understand Faith's psychology. The chapter also deepens Jac's personal stakes: her dismissal of the warning, followed by the internal voice of Angela Brodie, suggests that her obsession may be a dangerous echo of past mistakes. The introduction of the forced-overdose theory raises the stakes, implying that the deaths were not accidents but murders. Finally, the request for a photo of Faith sets up a future confrontation or identification, moving the plot forward.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Jac push the Lake Worth case aside so quickly, and what does this reveal about her state of mind?

Jac pushes the Lake Worth case aside because she needs a distraction from the “mess” at her mother's house. The act of focusing on the Colleton folder gives her purpose and a sense of control. This reveals that she is using the investigation as a coping mechanism, avoiding her personal problems by diving into someone else's. It also shows her tendency to become consumed by cases, which foreshadows the warning she later receives.

2. How does Mrs. Anderson's description of Faith challenge the reader's initial assumptions about the case?

Mrs. Anderson's description challenges the assumption that the deaths were accidental or unrelated. She paints Faith as a manipulative sociopath who enjoyed causing chaos and who had a motive to eliminate the other girls. Her theory that Daphne was forced to take pills because she was afraid to swallow them reframes the overdose as a murder, not a suicide. This shifts the case from a tragic accident to a deliberate act of violence.

3. What is the significance of the poem “The Spider and the Fly” in this chapter?

The poem serves as a metaphor for Faith's predatory behavior. Just as the spider lures the fly with flattering words, Faith sweet-talks her victims before turning on them. Mrs. Anderson uses the poem to warn Jac that Faith is dangerous and that getting involved with her could be fatal. The poem also ties into the broader theme of dark fairy tales and children's rhymes that conceal sinister meanings, suggesting that innocence can be a mask for evil.